Expressions of interest in new range of vintage trucks !

[fractalign]

Hey.

My intention is to produce a range of 1:25 scale 1920s and 1930s trucks.
The first will be as follows: 1925 Model TT, 1926 Model TT, 1930/31 AA, 1932/33/34 BB, and 1935/36.
Once these are complete I will move onto producing the Dodge, GM versions.
I also want to produce Diamond T's from 1935 to 1945 and 1939 Federal.

The kits will include all the components minus the engines so they can be built as curb side kits or engines can be added from other sources.
There will be a number of trans kits available to fit existing kits these will include:

The 1930/31 AA trans kit will include: chassis, rear suspension/differential, five hole five lug wheels/brakes and rear/upper cab section and bench seat to suit the Revell 1930 Model A Sedan Delivery and Tudor kits.

The 1932/33/34 BB trans kit will include: chassis, rear suspension/differential and five hole, five lug wheels/brakes to suit the Lindberg 1934 Pickups.

The 1935/36 Trans kit will include: chassis, rear suspension/differential, five hole, five lug wheels & brakes, fenders, cab and grill to suit the Revell Monagram 1937 Ford pickup. This kit will also be available minus the cab and grill to build up as a truck version of the 37 pickup.

I have already invested several thousand dollars in hardware and software to aid in the development of the prototypes and at this stage I have completed the cabs for the 26 T Ford, 1930 AA, and 1932 Fords as well as the bare chassis for the 1932/33/34 BB Fords.
With over 20 years master modelling experience and 11 years experience in resin casting and mould making, I am more than up to the task. As well as creating all the prototypes I will also be creating the moulds and casting them up. I will also be building each one up as a test kit before the official release to insure the components all fit.

I have been in discussion with a well known Truck producer about releasing my designs through their site and they have agreed to receive some of my samples. What I need to know is if there would be a market for such such models and if so what kind of configurations builders would like to see, such as tippers, tow trucks, tankers, flat beds and so on.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated and once I have completed the first prototypes, I will post them up.
If there are any other makes not mentioned that you would like to see let me know because I am open to any possibilities if I think there will be a market.

Edited August 2, 2014 by fractalign

[Andrew]

I'm sure they would be popular, not just with vehicle modellers but military type modellers too. My question is, if you have the equipment, why not just produce a full kit (the AA is already available I think) as buying a resin kit and then having to source a plastic kit for what sounds like a few parts seems an unnecessary expense, especially for those of us not living in the USA where even current kits are £20 to £25 ($30 to $38 US)?

[fractalign]

I couldn't agree more and i did mention in the second paragraph that the kits will be available as full kits minus the engines. Because I will be doing all the moulding and casting, I will be leaving the engines out to save time and keep the costs of the kits down.

With these proposed kits being based on existing kits, engines can be sourced from them. Any 1:25 scale AMT, or Revell Model A kit, AMT stock 32 and 34 kits or Lindberg 34 pickups will include either a side valve four cylinder or V8 that can easily fitted to these proposed kits.

I will include a list of compatible kits from which the builder can source their engines from should they want a more detailed model. For example for the TT Trucks I would list the AMT trophy serious as being the perfect source for the engine. This way there will be no confusion as to what engine the builder will need to complete their model.

I am unaware of anyone offering an AA kit at least in 1:25 scale. If that was the case I wouldn't be looking to release my own. My goal is to only release trucks that are not available in 1:25 scale that way I can offer a range that is unique.

Anyway thank for your feed back, I will post up a finished example of either the AA or BB trucks depending on which is finished first.

Edited December 5, 2013 by fractalign

[Jim B]

There was a 1/25 Ford AA offered a while ago by Real Model in the Czech Republic. It doesn't appear to be in his catalog anymore. Knowing Ream Model it cost a fortune, too!

[Randytheroadrunner]

I'd like to build a model of the AA truck from the Waltons.

[earlleecliffton]

I'd like to build a model of the AA truck from the Waltons.

meeeeee tooooooo

[Andrew]

I may have been wrong about the AA being available, I took this at an IPMS show in the UK in 2009 but no details so may be a GAZ?

I have mentioned this thread to a military modeller (they tend not to look on car forums!) and he thinks there would be interest from "that side" too but again wonders why with all the investment and time so far that it would be necessary to buy a kit just for an engine, rather than including an accurate one with yours. Obviously your choice and you seem well on the way to doing this, good luck, hope you sell outside the US!

[Chuck Most]

I may have been wrong about the AA being available, I took this at an IPMS show in the UK in 2009 but no details so may be a GAZ?

That truck in the photo is most definitely a '30-'31 AA. Would LOVE to have that, along with any of the others mentioned.

[Art Anderson]

Some things that might help you in all this: AA Ford 1.5 ton chassis were all the same '28-'31, and did include an arched rear cross member which was used to hold a heavy transverse rear spring when a conventional Ford rear axle (in design this axle looks very much like the smaller passenger Model A rear end, just a good deal larger) was installed, for "Express Truck" use (large panel deliveries and the Express Pickup, which is the truck used on the "Waltons"). Model AA trucks, when introduced in 1928 used the same basic worm drive rear axle as the TT, through midyear 1929, when that was replaced by a full-floating ring & pinion rear axle--and that remained almost exactly the same unit for 1 and 1.5 Ford trucks all the way out through the 1952 model year.

The early AA truck wheels (1928) were "wire wheels", in the same spoke pattern as the Model A Passenger Car wheel, but with much heavier spokes, and were 7:00-20 split rims (7:00-20 was also the most common size passenger car wheel used on large luxury cars such as Packard, Cadillac etc.--in fact early Classic Car restorers had to use truck tires most of the time until companies such as Denman Tire, Petit Jean Mountain Tire Company, and finally Coker Tire began building correct-looking passenger car tires for such cars, beginning in the mid-1950's). 7:00-20 tires were the common US size for this class of truck into at least the early 1950's as well.

The 1932 Model BB truck chassis remained the same basic design through 1938 at least, with only minor "detail" changes in order to accommodate the changes in cab and front fender styling, shapes and dimensions.

Ford, when they discontinued "wire wheels" (actually "welded steel spoke wheels" on the AA, went to using the 5-hole pressed steel wheel, made by Kelsey-Hayes, who also supplied the same style wheel to Chevrolet, GMC, Dodge and Studebaker, among others. 1929-31 AA trucks used the earlier style K-H wheel, which had a smooth center with the standard Ford 5-bolt pattern (that bolt pattern remained the same through at least 1952 from my reading over the years). For 1932 and the BB truck, this wheel design got one visible change, that being a "raised" center (where the bolt pattern is), that "stood out" about half an inch, looking almost like a very large "washer", but merely a stamping change. The wheels were, of course, the then standard "split ring" rim, the split ring rim "bead" being on the convex side of the wheel, which made it easily visible on the front wheel, but it is there on all 6 wheels when the truck was mounted with dual rear wheels. For the safety of the mechanic mounting and inflating tires, the valve stem, mounted in the center of the rim, angles to the "inside" of the wheel when you view the front wheel, so that it pointed to the concave side (inner side of the front wheel, outer side of the outer rear wheel in dually setups). This made it possible to inflate the tire without the mechanic being in "the line of fire", should the split ring blow off due to being inproperly seated on the rim before hand (a split ring coming off in such fashion can do so with enough force to decapitate and unsuspecting person.

As for the BB truck, there were sheet metal changes between the 1932 Model BB, and the '33-'34, in than the '32 Ford truck grille shell stands absolutely vertical, with the hood panel fitting that vertical position at the front. For 1933, the grille shell was angled back (the AMT/Lindberg '34 Pickup shows that clearly), but the louvered hood side panels had no emblems or badges on them, as does the '34, so the louvers on the '33 are all the same length across their tops.

A cool body for a '30-'1 AA truck would be the 131" wheelbase Panel Delivery: For 1931, Ford went slightly nuts in offering all manner of variations of this body: Conventional panel delivery, a canopy style variation using rollup side curtains and wire screens, an ambulance version (two variants here: rear loading and side loading), and a hearse (essentially the same as the ambulance version, but with the finer interior appointments associated with funeral coaches), The Panel Delivery body and its variations used rear fenders styled very similar to passenger cars, but much larger, to accommodate the much larger diameter tires).

Another near body variation would be the "Service Truck", which Ford introduced in 1930. This body used the standard Model A/AA closed truck cab, with a smooth sided "pickup" style body carrying the lines of the cab side all the way to the rear, and was bolted directly to the rear corners of the cab (same as with the '31 Model A Deluxe Pickup that closely predicted the look of the 1932 Ford Ute produced for Australia. This body used the same style rear fenders as mounted on 1-ton panel delivery bodies as well. Ford originally intended this style for use as a service truck for Ford and Lincoln dealers, giving them a stylish Ford truck for on the road service, even as tow trucks.

Art

[Randytheroadrunner]

Here's one I found of John Walton's truck.

[Jantrix]

I love model A's. I'd like to see some of these happen.

[tooltas]

some 30's macks big and mackjr pickups some lnternational kmodel from30s

[fractalign]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

That photo Andrew posted up of the AA looks awesome. If that one is still available, I won't bother doing my own version. I don't want to tread on some other guys toes, having said that I can still make accessories to fit. Art mentions the service car and panel deliveries and i have an excellent book called: "The Ford Model A As Henry built It" with various photo's of both. I will definitely be doing a body for the service car since I am doing a version of its little brother the deluxe pickup anyway. I will also consider the longer wheel base panel delivery as well.

It seems there was a plethora of different commercial vehicles for the Model A range in 1930-31 including deluxe deliveries and even a version called a Town Delivery which looked like a Hybrid of a cabriolet and sedan delivery, these are all up for consideration especially the slant back version of the Town Delivery, that looks too cool to pass up.

Another thing I have been looking into is doing a bogie drive version. These seem to be as rare as hens teeth, I have never seen any in books but i have seen images and photo's of them online. They seem to have originated with the 1928-29 AA's and carried through from there. The BB' s used 157 inch wheel bases for theirs from memory.

Once the AA's are completed the BB's will most likely be next on the cards. I have already created the cabs for both. These being the 1932 and 1934 versions. The 1934 BB will actually be an Australian version like the one pictured above. I actually owned one of these many years ago and found this one on my travel nearly three years ago.

Anyway once again thanks again for the feedback, especially the specifications from Art, these will be used when I finish off the AA and BB chassis.

Cheers.

Edited December 7, 2013 by fractalign

[Toner283]

I do not believe that there is an AA truck currently readily availible. If a good quality one were to be available for a reasonable price I think it would be a good seller. I would be interested in a flatbed AA but I would think that a tow truck would also sell well and with a bit of engineering a wrecker deck could probably be worked to fit on either the AA chassis or the 32/33/34 chassis.

I would also suggest that you offer the cab seperately as to my knowlwdge the cab is the same between a model A and a model AA. I know of no currently availible 30/31 model A truck cab. I think that factory stock and hot rod builders would both be interested in them. I know that I would be interested in a couple of cabs in addition to a complete AA truck. If the frame for the AA were also available seperately then a builder could easily put together a 28/29 AA using the Revell rat rod 3n1 pickup kit. Just a couple of things to keep in mind.

[fractalign]

Hey Chris.

You will be pleased to know that all the proposed truck models will be available as street rod versions as well. I know there was no difference in cabs for the trucks and pick ups so there will be pick up versions available as well. I have not decided whether to market the cabs separately at this stage but it could be an option.

[Casey]

Robert, we you the person working on the '33 Dodge pickup, too?

[peter31a]

Very interesting stuff! Love the cars and trucks from that era. Good luck on this venture and I'll keep an eye out for your posts and for availability of these resin kits.

[fractalign]

I am working on the 33 Dodge pickup as well. Once i have worked out the louvres and grill shell, i will finish it and mould it too.

[Randytheroadrunner]

Why do some of the AA's have curved backs on the cab, and others have flat backs on the cab?

[Danno]

Randy,

It was a styling change.

'28 & '29 Model AAs had square rear corners, creating a flat back wall of the cab. They also had a curved cowl pillar (vertical stiffening structure in front of the doors). It was actually created by using some Model TT parts and mating them to the early AA cowl.

'30-'31 cabs were restyled with the curved rear corners and roof, and the vertical pillar disappeared from the cowl.

There were other miscellaneous differences in the cabs, but the most noticeable were the contours of the rear corners and back wall.

[Art Anderson]

The '28-'29 Model AA cabs were simply the last series of Model TT cabs (late 1926) which were reconfigured with new cowlings, front quarter panels, and of course the cowl-mounted Model A gas tank, all to mate up to the Model A passenger car (coupe, roadster, Cabriolet, Sport Coupe and Tudor Sedan) hood.

For 1930-31, Ford truck cabs took on the very same styling and lines as the 1930 Model A Standard 4dr sedan, and got the rear cab panel which curves inward toward the bottom below the beltline molding.

Art

[Randytheroadrunner]

So the Walton's Truck must have been a '29 then? But I suspect they used more than one truck on the series, because I remember the large pickup and a flatbed also.

[Danno]

So the Walton's Truck must have been a '29 then? But I suspect they used more than one truck on the series, because I remember the large pickup and a flatbed also.

I've done no research on the specifics of the "Walton" truck, but based on the pic on the prior page, that's a '29. It has the '28-'29 cab and disc wheels. The '28s were only available with heavy duty wire spoke wheels (similar design as the smaller passenger car wire spoke wheels); the steel disc wheels seen in the picture were introduced on '29 Model AAs.

[blazefox]

Can I get a pm about price ranges. ive seen some nice resin kits butbthey were for crazy cash on ebay. If I like it enough ill get one. I just dont wanna break my wallet.

thanks -steve

[Toner283]

Any updates on the 30/31 Model AA truck? Definitely interested in at least one.